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UC Davis medical student wins pediatric cancer research grant

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) —

First year UC Davis School of Medicine student Marin Nishimura has been awarded a $6,000 grant from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, a Pennsylvania-based philanthropy that supports pediatric cancer awareness and research nationally.

Marin Nishimura

The Pediatric Oncology Student Training (POST) grant will support Nishimura's leukemia and neuroblastoma research under the mentorship of Noriko Satake, assistant professor of pediatric hematology/oncology. Nishimura's work with Satake involves grafted human leukemia and neuroblastoma cells in mice that can advance understanding the behavior of the cancers and provide insight into novel therapies.

"I am particularly excited about seeking out new ways to identify and isolate cancer stem cells," she said. "I am so excited to be a part of the team at the forefront of cancer research. With the help of the POST program, I am in the laboratory where I can directly observe the theories that I am getting introduced to in the classroom."

Nishimura, who graduated with high honors in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a Master's degree in Biology from UC San Diego, has been very active in medical student activities at UC Davis. She is co-director, interclinic representative and a board member of the Paul Hom Asian Clinic, president of Academic Medicine Sig at UC Davis and is a fellow of the Klingenstein Fellowship Program at UC Davis in Pediatric Psychiatry. She said she hopes to become a pediatric cancer physician and researcher.

The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its research and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care. Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at medschool.ucdavis.edu.